Mae West once said, “Love conquers all things – except poverty and toothache.” I find it interesting that many women who came West between 1851 and 1879 felt the same way. I didn’t realize until I began doing research for Hearts West II: Mail Order Brides of the Old West, that finding love was secondary read more…

On April 25, 1876, George Custer wrote Elizabeth from New York with bad news. He was caught up in a situation neither saw coming. “My Precious Sunbeam,” his letter began, “I cannot express my amazement, disappointment. I am stopped, ordered to return to Washington. I had obtained my formal discharge…. I had had several interviews read more…

For several months I’ve been working on a book about an Oklahoma lawman named Sam Sixkiller. He was a fine officer, dedicated, fearless – he kept order in a town that was considered one of the most dangerous in the country at the time. Some of the men he arrested conspired against him – they read more…

Rolling your own cigarette and smoking was a just a given for the tough lawmen and notorious bad guys of the Old West movies. John Wayne and Clint Eastwood made it look cool, but in my estimation that’s the only place it does look cool. I grew up around a family of smokers. That wonderful read more…

Another rainy, melancholy day in Northern California. Guess the Libbie Custer book is doing okay. I haven’t heard any complaints.  But I remain optomistic as far as that’s concerned.  I’m working on the Sam Sixkiller book and the following up to Hearts West. My mind wanders while I’m working to some of the best dialogue read more…

While acts of violence against employers by ex-employees is tragic, it is not new. For example, on April 17, 1881, a drunken Bill Johnson attempted to assassinate city marshal Dallas Stoudenmire with a shotgun in El Paso, TX. Johnson’s blast missed completely because he was stewed as an owl. Stoudenmire and his brother-in-law, Doc Cummings, read more…

How can a day be anything but great when you start it out having a conversation with an honest to goodness cowboy? Brent Harris, a true Dodge City, Kansas cowboy, has been a real lifesaver in his efforts to make the launch of the Elizabeth Custer book next month in Dodge go as smoothly as read more…

This is the week!  The week the Elizabeth Custer book is officially released.  I want it to do well, but it’s like sending your child out into the world to possibly be ridiculed, or worse yet, told they’re ugly and of no value.  The situation reminds me of a time in my life when I read more…

While on the phone late yesterday with Sam Sixkiller’s great, great grandson (Sixkiller was a famous Native American lawman and the subject of my next book)  I received a call from the Federal Prison.  No matter how much I want to put out of my mind, for just a little while, the thought that my brother is locked up and fading away, I just read more…

In April 1865, the Rebels had surrendered to the Yankees, thus ending the Civil War.  George Custer arrived on the other side of the war a hero.  His actions at the Battle of the 1st Bull Run and subsequent heroic efforts helped bring about victory for the North.  Shortly after the official signing of the South’s declaration read more…